Side

Growing up in the Italian region of Istria (now a part of Croatia), Bastianich remembers making these dolls every Easter. "The pinza bread would be made for the adults, but for the children, the loaves would be formed into the pupi dolls," she recalls. Now living in New York City, she continues the tradition with her grandchildren.

Frigitterie, found all over Palermo, means things fried, and the selections are endless. Breaded eggplant, broccoli, artichokes—all of the vegetables in season are coated with a flour paste (pastella) and find their way into a fryer. In Palermo, one of the undisputed specialties is panella, made of chickpea flour and cooked like polenta, chilled, and then cut into thick slices that are fried in olive oil. Fried panelle are eaten as is, or multiple slices are piled in a sesame bun and enjoyed as a big sandwich. Panelle can make a great accompaniment to fish or meat, but everybody loves them passed around as an hors d'oeuvre. Convenient to prepare in advance, they can be cooked up in a big batch, left to cool in the sheet pan, then refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can cut out a few panelle and fry them for a snack or side dish whenever you want. If you're serving bite-sized panelle for a cocktail party, I suggest you fry all the pieces ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven before your guests arrive.

A mountain of skinny, crisp fries adds drama to the plate. Unlike thick-cut fries, which are traditionally fried twice (first to cook them through and then to crisp them), shoestrings are fried only once. And like potato chips, they taste great at any temperature.

This fast-cooking flatbread traditionally accompanies dal or curry dishes, but it's versatile enough to pair well with almost any soup or even to dip in hummus.

Thin green beans add ribbons of color as well as bite to a celeriac rémoulade.

This salad shows how bitterness, punctuated with a zingy vinaigrette, can be supremely refreshing.

Here is a quick and tasty way to cook young artichokes: thin-sliced, slowly braised in a skillet in their own juices, and served with a shower of soft pecorino. The method is simple, and will yield delicious results even with the larger, more mature artichokes you'll find in the supermarket. This dish makes a great vegetarian sandwich, or, for a carnivore, a topping for a juicy hamburger. Artichokes prepared this way are also a great appetizer topped with a poached egg or a thin slice of prosciutto.

This is a great spring salad with two long, lovely green vegetables that have a real affinity for each other. It is delicious as an antipasto or a first course, or as a side dish to grilled meat and fish. You can serve this salad chilled, but I like it at room temperature. If you haven't poached scallions before, be sure to note how nicely it brings out the flavors in a mellow way.

Four ingredients yield amazing flavor in this clever side. The secret? Caramelizing the shallots, which adds an appealing sweetness to the mashed potatoes.

In this decadent side, rosemary-Roquefort mashed potatoes are scooped back into the potato skins, topped with Gruyère cheese, and baked. Serve with steak or chicken, or make a meal of one all on its own.

Forget the marshmallows. All that these sweet potatoes need is a little butter and a drizzle of honey.

Baking the potatoes and carrots before mashing them gives this side a rich, complex flavor. pieces

Smoked pork shoulder usually isn't available at supermarkets, so you will need to order it in advance from your butcher. If you use ham shanks instead, try to find the kind without artificial flavors like liquid smoke. And don't throw out the cooking liquid; it's great for making soup.

Tossing the potatoes in a vinegar-mustard mixture before roasting gives them a flavorful crust.

Capers, a common ingredient in traditional Sicilian cooking, give this gratin a tangy, briny flavor. Serve alongside whole roasted fish, roast pork, or sautéed chicken breasts.

It's not Easter dinner without the eggs. In this recipe, they are boiled just until the yolks are set, then sliced and topped with a fresh herb sauce.

Orange slices add a juicy, sweet touch to this simple salad, which is made even easier by drizzling the lettuce with oil and vinegar (rather than making a proper vinaigrette).

Roasting broccoli brings out its earthy sweetness, and sprinkling it with cheese will guarantee that the kids clean their plates.

Be sure to buy a colorful assortment of baby vegetables. Serve as a side for roasted meat or fish, as an antipasto with salumi and breadsticks, or as an appetizer with crusty bread and goat cheese.